How to starch a white blouse. General rules for starching. Features of processing various products and fabrics

Things that you use frequently and those that you wear regularly tend to gradually wear out, which means they lose their original fresh look. What needs to be done to “revive” or leave new for a long time, for example, a linen tablecloth or a favorite cambric blouse? One of the proven methods can be starching products. Things treated in this way become stronger and fresher. Therefore, we advise you to read the tips on how to starch fabric and follow the instructions described in this article.

Methods and types of product processing

If you are interested in how to starch fabric, first decide what stiffness finished product you want to receive. Depending on the structure, thickness and quality of the material, it is necessary to determine the concentration and composition of the chemical solution for processing things. At the same time, the following materials are usually not processed: suit fabric, woolen items,

There are several levels of starch hardness:

1. Soft. Used for products made from light chiffon and fine knitwear.

2. Average. Suitable for napkins, blouses, men's shirts.

3. Hard. Used for collars, cuffs and knitted decorative volumetric products, for example, napkin vases.

There are also several ways:

1. Traditional, time-tested method that uses potato starch.

2. Special chemical compositions(liquids and powders) that are added to water when hand wash during the last rinse or in an automatic washing machine when falling asleep detergents and rinse aids.

3. All kinds of atomizers and sprays. The most convenient option of all, as it does not require special preparation of the solution, fabric or equipment. Typically, airborne treatment of products is carried out during ironing at medium temperature.

How to starch fabricthe traditional way: step-by-step guide

To handle things in the usual way It is better to use but you can also use corn or wheat.

1. First of all, the product must be clean. Make sure that there are no stains on it, since after starching all defects will be especially noticeable.

2. Prepare a solution by diluting starch in cold water. Observe the following proportions:

  • for thin fabrics - 5-10 grams (1 teaspoon) per 1 liter of water;
  • For bed linen- 10-15 grams (1 tablespoon);
  • for collars, bulk napkins- 20-25 grams (2 tablespoons).

3. Then pour a little hot water into the prepared solution. After thorough stirring, the paste should be homogeneous, viscous and transparent. The presence of lumps is not allowed. When a cloudy solution is obtained, it must be boiled for several minutes.

4. Add water to the resulting paste in a 3:1 ratio.

5. To starch the fabric, dip the prepared item for soaking into the solution so that it is completely immersed in it and leave for 5 minutes.

6. Wring out the product and hang to dry. It is not recommended to let things dry on heating devices, radiators and balconies, as it will be difficult to iron them later.

7. To ensure that the fabric is well ironed, the product should not be over-dried; it is better if it is slightly damp.

It’s up to you to decide how to starch the fabric - the old proven way or the modern one. The most important thing is that the resulting result pleases the eye with its impeccability.

Starch is useful not only when, when you need to add splendor to the New Year's children's costume or make your husband's shirt flawless. The possibilities of regular food powder are much wider. The starching method is used to maintain the shape of delicate knitted items, to stiffen a petticoat, to emphasize fine pattern lace or give curtains an updated look. An alternative to starch can be sugar, gelatin or PVA glue.

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    Why starch fabric?

    Starch allows you to:

    • update the fabric, make it brighter;
    • give sewing and knitted items rigidity, making them retain their shape longer;
    • wash things less often, as they will get dirty less often;
    • create a hypoallergenic barrier between the body and the fabric.

    This procedure also has disadvantages. During the fabric processing process, the spaces between the fibers become clogged with starch, so the clothes stop “breathing” - it will be hot in the summer.

    Basic principles

    Starch is obtained from various plants: potatoes, corn, rice, wheat, cassava. When starch powder is compressed, a creaking sound is heard - this is how particle friction manifests itself. The substance does not dissolve in cold water, but forms a suspension, the so-called starch milk. When hot, it partially dissolves, turning into a sticky paste. If you rinse the fabric in it, a film forms on the surface, changing physical properties material.

    The starching solution is prepared only from water and starch. In cooking, starches are distinguished, but any starch can be used for laundry care. The cheapest in our country is potato. It is perfect for starching by hand, as it thickens well and has a bright white color. Only washed and thoroughly rinsed fabrics are starched. It doesn’t matter whether you put wet or dry laundry into the solution, the main thing is that the paste wets the entire product.

    The degree of starching is determined experimentally. Properly treated fabric rustles a little after drying. An item that is lightly starched does not hold its shape; an item that is overstarched sticks to the iron. Both of these defects can be corrected by re-washing the items and soaking them in a starch mixture of a suitable concentration.

    Soft starching

    Mild starching is carried out with a weak solution. The procedure is intended for light dresses, bed linen, and women's cotton blouses. After processing, the item practically retains its original softness, but looks neater.

    Soft starching technology:

    1. 1. Pour a teaspoon of starch into 1 liter of water and stir until the lumps disappear.
    2. 2. Heat the required volume of water to a boil.
    3. 3. Pour starch milk into boiling water, stirring continuously.
    4. 4. Cool the water - after cooling, you should get a slightly slippery solution, without lumps, slightly denser than water.
    5. 5. Rinse the items, leaving them in the solution for several minutes so that the fibers are properly saturated.
    6. 6. Clothes are wrung out, shaken and hung or laid out to dry.

    Liquid for soft starching can be poured into a regular household spray bottle and used to wet items when ironing.

    Medium starch

    Medium-hard starching is used for processing table linen, men's shirts, furniture covers, and lace products. Preparation of the solution is similar the previous method, but per liter of water they take not one, but two teaspoons of starch.

    If after adding to hot water the substance turns out to be too thick, you can dilute it warm water.

    Hard starching

    This method is suitable for processing objects that need to be given thorough rigidity. Hard starch:

    • petticoats, if they have to hold several skirts at once;
    • collars and cuffs on shirts and blouses;
    • individual decorative elements;
    • crocheted items that need to retain their shape - hats, baskets, etc.

    Hard starching technology:

    1. 1. A teaspoon of borax is diluted in a glass of hot water and allowed to cool to room temperature.
    2. 2. Stir 2 level tablespoons of starch in a glass of cold water.
    3. 3. Boil 1 liter of water.
    4. 4. Pour starch milk into slightly cooled boiling water.
    5. 5. Borax is added after the starch.
    6. 6. Stir.
    7. 7. Let it sit for 2 hours.

    Now you don’t have to prepare milk or paste. Household chemical stores sell special products containing potato starch, packaged in aerosol cans. The liquid is sprayed over the surface to be smoothed and immediately ironed. The fabric becomes perfectly smooth, even if it is overdried. Starch aerosol makes it much easier to iron problematic, difficult-to-iron and very dry items, but does not allow you to achieve high rigidity. After this treatment, the clothes will not crunch or creak.

    For starching bulky items - bed linen, bedspreads, tulle curtains– powders and rinse aids are produced that need to be added to the washing machine (in the conditioner container). But after washing, you will have to wipe the drum and door with a cloth to remove powder particles.

    You cannot pour starch solution into the machine together with conditioner.

    To make it easier to iron the item after starching, add regular cow's milk– 2 teaspoons per 1 liter of water. You can prevent the fabric from sticking to the iron with a few drops of turpentine added to the paste. A drop of blue in a starch solution will make the linen shine white.

    Starched items should not be dried in the cold.

    Starching with white talc and borax will help give clothes a special shine. For 5 parts starch take 1 part borax and 3 parts talc. The ingredients are dissolved in cold water and a napkin is soaked in the resulting solution. natural cotton or gauze. The clothes are ironed through a wet cloth. The shine will last a long time - it will disappear only after a few washes. You can add shine to the fabric by adding a pinch of salt to the starching solution.

    What can't be starched?

    Almost all fabrics, including colored ones, can be starched. But some products are not recommended to be subjected to such processing:

    • underwear stops allowing air to pass through and becomes unhygienic;
    • dark fabrics are covered with light stains;
    • fabrics made from synthetic fibers cannot be processed.

    Features of processing various products and fabrics

    Sometimes you have to starch items knitted from cotton yarn. Especially delicate things self made when worn, they stretch or sag. Starching will help them preserve beautiful view. Starch knitted or crocheting things is necessary, correctly calculating the degree of rigidity. For a regular napkin, crocheted, medium hardness is suitable, and for blouses and other clothes - soft starching. To process knitted products, standard solutions for soft, medium and hard starch are used. Immediately after the water has drained, the item is laid out horizontally, giving it the desired shape. Products knitted from synthetic threads should not be starched.

    It often becomes necessary to treat the canvas with starch. A thick base is much more convenient for embroidery. Prepare a solution for hard starching and keep the canvas in the liquid for 15-20 minutes. Then squeeze out and leave to dry on a flat surface.

    Gauze petticoats are starched using a hard method - this is the only way to force the soft fabric to retain its shape full skirt. Like tulle, gauze products are ironed wet, without waiting for natural drying. If a hard-starched fabric dries completely, it will form creases that cannot be ironed out.

    Among all fabrics, lace is the most grateful to starch. After processing, braid and other types of finishing retain their shape for a long time and demonstrate all the subtleties of an exquisite weave. The lace is starched using a medium-hard method, having previously been washed and lightly squeezed. Afterwards, the product is straightened and smoothed through gauze without waiting for it to dry. Lace items and details can be starched in another way: clean, dry lace is blotted with a cloth dipped in starch milk and then ironed.

    A product embroidered with lace must be dried after starching on a horizontal surface covered with fabric. The lace is pinned to the fabric with safety pins, giving it the required form.

    To starch flax, use the following solution:

    1. 1. Bring 1 liter of water to a boil.
    2. 2. Turn off the heat on the stove.
    3. 3. Pour 15 g of starch into the water that has stopped boiling and stir thoroughly.
    4. 4. The resulting paste is poured into cold water.

    The linen product is immersed in the solution for several minutes, then taken out, allowed to drain, slightly dried and ironed in a semi-damp state.

    Velvet can be both gelatinized and starched by stretching it over a frame. A layer of starch is applied to back side, making sure that the liquid does not leak out and stick the pile together. For velvet it is convenient to use a brush with stiff hairs.

    Embroidery

    It often becomes necessary to treat the canvas with starch. A rigid base is much more convenient for embroidery. Prepare a solution for hard starching and keep the canvas in the liquid for 15-20 minutes. Then squeeze out and leave to dry on a flat surface.

    You can also starch the finished embroidered picture. The product is washed and then dipped in a medium starch solution for 15 minutes. Dry on a flat surface, iron on the reverse side.

    Embroidery made with floss cannot be starched. After starching, the threads will stop shining and stick together.

    Shirts

    Starched shirts and blouses look especially elegant. These wardrobe items are processed as follows:

    1. 1. Pour starch into an enamel bowl and dilute with warm water, stirring until the lumps disappear.
    2. 2. The products are placed in the basin for 10-15 minutes.
    3. 3. Take out things and squeeze out excess solution.
    4. 4. Dry on wide hangers.
    5. 5. Iron while wet, especially carefully the cuffs and collar to give them rigidity.

    To hard starch men's shirts you will need:

    • 100 g rice starch or rice ground in a coffee grinder;
    • a tablespoon of borax;
    • 0.5 tablespoon glycerin;
    • 2.5 glasses of cold water.

    Hard starch algorithm:

    1. 1. Borax is ground into warm water to a mushy state.
    2. 2. Starch is diluted with cold water.
    3. 3. All components are combined and stirred.

    The resulting solution is enough for several shirts. Shirts intended for processing should already be washed. Then proceed as follows:

    1. 1. A foam sponge is moistened in the solution and rubbed on the shirt.
    2. 2. Take another sponge, moisten it in clean cold water and rub it again, achieving uniform saturation.
    3. 3. The shirt is ironed, starting from the collar.

    Bed sheets

    Correctly carried out starching makes pillowcases, sheets and duvet covers crispy and pleasant to the touch. Items remain fresh and clean for a long time. An excess of starch makes cotton fabrics hard and “woody”, so bedding is starched in a solution of medium consistency.

    The washed bed is dipped into it and allowed to soak completely, then it is taken out and the excess liquid is squeezed out. Dried on a line and then ironed with a warm iron.

    Tulle

    Starched tulle looks more shiny and attractive than conventionally washed tulle. Starching tulle curtains is a simple and inexpensive way to make your window look attractive.

    The tulle is kept for 30 minutes in a solution for soft starching, and then the excess liquid is squeezed out with your hands and ironed while wet with a warm iron.

    How to iron?

    Starched items are different from normally washed items. They require more delicate ironing.

    Ironing rules:

    1. 1. Things should only be ironed when wet.
    2. 2. Start with collars and cuffs.
    3. 3. Iron on both sides, starting from the wrong side.
    4. 4. You cannot use steam humidification - the products will lose their rigidity;
    5. 5. Clothes treated with a concentrated solution are not ironed until completely dry, so that yellow stains do not appear.

    Instead of starch

    Starch isn't the only way to make things tough. To process thin, delicate fabrics, more delicate substances are used: gelatin, PVA glue, sugar syrup.

    Gelatinization and sizing make fabrics resilient, elastic, but not rigid. The material stops crumbling, and the smallest things can be made from it without stitching.

    Gelatin

    The product is used to stiffen silk and velvet. After treatment with a gelatin solution, silk becomes elastic and especially shiny.

    Processed with gelatin natural materials and synthetics in manufacturing artificial flowers and other decorative items made from fabrics. The procedure is carried out as follows:

    1. 1. New fabric must be washed with soap.
    2. 2. Five teaspoons of granules are poured into 50 ml of water and left to swell for 20 minutes.
    3. 3. Add another glass of water and put on fire.
    4. 4. Heat until gelatin dissolves.
    5. 5. Allow the solution to cool.
    6. 6. Dip small parts cut from fabric into the liquid, or brush uncut fabric stretched over the frame with a brush.
    7. 7. Lay out the material to dry.

    Fabric treated with gelatin cannot be folded - creases will form on it. When stored, it is rolled up.

    Sugar

    To starch in sugar syrup you need to make a working solution:

    1. 1. Add three heaping tablespoons of sugar to 0.5 cups of water and heat over low heat.
    2. 2. Dilute half a teaspoon of starch with water in a separate container.
    3. 3. Slowly add milk to syrup and stir.
    4. 4. Pour the working solution into 1 liter of clean water.

    Fabric treated sugar syrup, will attract insects.

    PVA

    The linen is treated with construction adhesive, since office PVA can leave yellow stains. The method is suitable for starching handmade products made of tulle and artificial silk at home. In fabric painting, compositions made from PVA are used to prime the material before painting.

How to starch things at home

To starch things, napkins, tablecloths or linens, you will need starch and water. Clothes must be washed beforehand.

Types of starching

1. Soft starching. Suitable for thin and light fabrics such as chiffon and cambric. The amount of starch for this method is taken at the rate of 0.5-1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water. This is how you starch your lungs summer dresses from knitted fabric, thin chiffon blouses, etc.

2. Medium-hard starch is used for bed linen, cloth napkins, blouses, shirts and skirts. Starch concentration at this method increases a little, now you need to take 1 tbsp. spoon per 1 liter of water.

3. Hard starch is used mainly for processing only individual elements of things, such as collars or cuffs. It can also be used if you need to starch the lowest skirt on a full skirt. ball gown so that it holds its shape clearly. With this method, take 2 tablespoons of starch per 1 liter of water.

Homemade starching of things

You should start starching only after washing.

Starch gives the fabric additional whiteness. Therefore, if your favorite white blouse has turned a little yellow after washing, but you don’t want to part with it, try just starching it.

  1. After washing, dilute the starch in cold water in a basin. The exact proportions for each type of fabric were given above. You can choose any starch, it can be corn, wheat and potato. Most women use the latter.
  2. Pour a little hot water into the cold starch solution and stir. You should get a transparent viscous paste without lumps. If the paste is not transparent, but cloudy, then boil it for about 5 minutes.
  3. Before lowering the item, dilute the paste a little more with water so that the fabric can absorb it more easily.
  4. When the item is completely soaked in the starch solution, take it out and squeeze it a little to remove excess liquid.

Dry the starched item at room temperature, but do not do this on the balcony or near the radiator, otherwise after drying the fabric will be very difficult to iron.

Starched fabric should be ironed while it is still slightly damp and has not become stiff. The effect lasts until the next wash.

Modern methods

Hardware stores sell special starch sprays and liquids. They are very easy to use.

You don't have to spread any paste, just spray the item with the spray while ironing. This is especially convenient if you only need to starch the collar or cuffs of a shirt.

If you need to starch large items, for example, bed linen or long skirt, then special powders and liquids with a starching effect are suitable. They are added to the washing machine when washing. The packages always have detailed description, so there won’t be any difficulties.

I recently looked at old family photographs and remembered my grandmother’s feasts with amazing table settings, which were always decorated with starched napkins. And I wanted to revive the tradition - after all, I myself am already a grandmother. Even though she’s new. But I didn’t know how to starch things at home - I didn’t ask my grandmother at the time.

It turned out that this was not a difficult matter at all. You can use time-tested recipes and modern means. I tried both. I’m sharing my experience, and at the same time I’ll tell you what to do if the funds are in this moment not available.

Why starch things at all?

Many modern housewives have no idea - why is this necessary? You almost never see lace napkins and pillow covers like before – it’s not fashionable. The collars of the shirts hold their shape perfectly without any additional tricks.


So, it turns out that if you starch fabric, you can give it several useful properties:

  • Form stability. Examples when this property is needed are those same serving napkins or a chef’s hat.

  • Whitening. White items that have turned yellow over time are restored to their original freshness.
  • Stain resistance. The thin film formed on the surface of the fabric becomes an obstacle to contamination. It does not allow them to be absorbed deeply into the fabric structure. Therefore, things are washed much easier and do not wear out longer.
  • Collapse resistance. Starched linen wrinkles less.

Agree, there is a reason to study the technology and start applying it in practice. Of course, there is no need to starch everything, and sometimes it is even harmful or useless.


For example, the same starch film that protects against dirt also prevents air from penetrating through the fabric. Therefore, you should not treat underwear, as well as those clothes that you wear in the heat.

On dark things, starch will leave a whitish coating. A synthetic fabric at home it will not starch at all.

Technology from our grandmothers

For everything to work out, you need to know how to dilute starch, what proportions are important, and how to apply the finished solution to the product.

Preparation of the solution

Let me start with the fact that the type of starch is not important, you can use any starch - potato, rice, corn. Much more important is its quantity per certain volume of water. Here you can adhere to the following recommendations:

  1. 1 teaspoon per liter of water taken when you need to starch thin and delicate fabric, provided that it should not “stand up like a stake.” This can be cambric, chiffon, tulle and products made from them. For example:


  1. 2 teaspoons for the same amount of water used for starching table napkins, men's shirts, and bed linen.

  1. 2 tablespoons per liter of water will make collars and cuffs, petticoats stiff lush dresses, knitted and lace decorative items that should keep their shape.


Of course, in each case the purpose of starching must be taken into account. For example, if you make artificial flowers from the same tulle, then a weak solution will not help give them the desired shape. In this case, you will need two tablespoons of starch, not one teaspoon.

Now let's talk in detail about how to prepare the working solution. Instructions with pictures:

Image Description
Step 1

Take some cool water and stir in it required quantity starch.

Step 2

We measure out the amount of water that is necessary to maintain the proportions. Pour it into a saucepan and bring to a boil.

For example, if you soaked starch in 200 ml of water, then pour not a liter of water into the pan, but 800 ml.

Step 3

Stir the mixture in the glass again so that the powder does not settle to the bottom. And pour it into boiling water in a thin stream. At the same time, stir the contents of the pan continuously so that no lumps form.

Step 4

If there are no lumps, no big deal. The solution can be strained through a sieve or cheesecloth.

Step 5

Pour the solution into the container in which we will starch. And wait for it to cool down a little.

As you can see, it couldn't be simpler. If you know how to cook jelly, then this procedure will not cause you any difficulties.

3 ways to use starch solution

To starch something with your own hands, you need to rinse it first. Or make sure it is clean, free of dust and stains. And then you can go in different ways:

  1. Soaking in solution. This is the most affordable way for large items such as clothing and bedding. They are dipped into a basin with the prepared starch solution for several minutes, and then squeezed out, carefully straightened and dried in natural conditions. Of course, one liter of product cannot be used here; more of it must be prepared immediately in accordance with the proportions.

  1. Spraying while ironing. This method is used only for weak solutions. When cooled, they are poured into a spray bottle and used during ironing. This is exactly what I did when I was thinking about how to starch tulle. Without letting it dry completely, I ironed it using starch instead of water.

  1. Surface application. Suitable for small items and decorative items. They are laid out on a flat surface, straightened, and the solution is applied with a soft brush or swab made of soft fabric. And wait for it to dry completely. Or iron it when the item is still slightly damp.

But these are not all the secrets of how to starch fabric correctly. Starched items should be dried away from heating appliances. And start ironing when they are not yet completely dry. In this case, it is advisable to do this through gauze so that carbon deposits do not form on the sole of the iron.


Modern means

Few people would want to have an automatic washing machine waste time on unnecessary movements. It's a waste of time and energy. After washing the clothes, you need to soak them in the solution again, and then wring them out by hand.

So I was lazy. So I bought this bottle:


The product is simply added to the machine in the air conditioner compartment. That's all! Now I always use it when washing bed linen. There were several similar products in the store, all used the same way.

There is also starch in this version:


The sprayer is used when ironing things. Everything is as usual, we just use this product instead of water, and set the iron to the minimum temperature for the fabric. Convenient for blouses and shirts.

The price is affordable: depending on the volume and manufacturer, from 100 to 300 rubles.

3 ways to starch without starch

If there is neither starch nor special means, and you need to give things shape right here and now, you can use:

  1. Sugar. 200 g of granulated sugar should be dissolved in 100 ml of water and heated without bringing to a boil. It is important that the sugar dissolves completely before the syrup boils, otherwise it will turn yellow and stain things. Next, you need to cool the syrup and soak the product in it or apply it with a brush.

  1. Gelatin. 2-4 tablespoons of gelatin, depending on the required degree of hardness, are poured with cold water (1 liter). It is allowed to swell, then heated until completely dissolved and a homogeneous consistency is obtained. You can also strain it. In general, everything is as usual when using gelatin in cooking.

  1. PVA construction adhesive. It is whiter than stationery and does not turn yellow after drying. It is simply diluted with water, determining the ratio of components experimentally. I usually took 1:1.

I heard that you can also soak things in skim milk. But I haven’t tried it myself. But I often used sugar, glue and gelatin when I was doing needlework and crocheting napkins and decorations.

I think, this way you can “starch” only things that will not come into contact with the skin. Therefore, I would not use these methods for collars and shirts. But for a white apron on September 1, so that the wings “stand”, why not?

Conclusion

I hope, having described all the ways I know to starch linen and all sorts of decorative crafts, helped some of you. I myself did not dare to take on this matter until I realized that it was not at all difficult, and the result was very much worth some time.

The video in this article will help you completely get rid of doubts. Well, for those who try to apply the described methods in practice and then share their impressions in the comments, I will be very grateful.

Starching fabric is not as popular today as it used to be. When our grandmothers were young, every self-respecting housewife considered it important to starch certain types of clothing (blouses, shirts), and the need for this procedure for bed linen and tablecloths was not discussed at all.

Starched items retain their presentable appearance and freshness longer due to the elasticity acquired during the processing process. Unfortunately, due to a completely different style and rhythm modern life Today, not every housewife knows how to starch fabric.

Three ways

At home, fabric can be starched in three ways. The choice of the optimal one depends on the type of fabric and the purpose of the product:

  • The soft way. Used for dresses, blouses and bed linen made of thin, delicate fabrics: muslin, cambric and the like.
To prepare a working solution for soft starch, you need to dissolve 1 teaspoon of starch in a liter of water. If the product is voluminous, prepare a larger amount of solution in compliance with the specified proportion.
  • Semi-hard way. It is used for starching men's shirts, as well as napkins and tablecloths. In this case, a solution of higher concentration is required: a tablespoon full of starch per liter of water.
  • The cuffs and collars of shirts are starched using a harsh method. To do this, the concentration of the solution must be even higher - you will need at least two tablespoons of starch per liter of water.

Starch solution

For the first two methods, the recipe for preparing the starch mixture is the same, the only difference is in the amount of starch brewed.

We start by diluting the starch in cool water. Then the resulting mixture is poured into boiling water in a thin stream, while stirring it. You should try to stir continuously to avoid the formation of lumps. The finished solution should be transparent. If it is a little cloudy, you should boil it a little more and add water.

Stir and allow to cool to a moderately warm state, then immerse the product in the solution.

If the fabric is to be starched in a harsh way, borax, that is, sodium boric salt, is added to the solution. A teaspoon of borax is diluted separately in a small amount of hot water and added to the completely prepared solution, stirring thoroughly and letting it brew for at least two hours.

Alternative option

You can starch fabric not only with starch. Many craftsmen successfully use gelatin, sugar and PVA glue for these purposes. How it's done?
  • Sugar. Syrup is boiled from it, which serves as a solution that gives the product rigidity and the desired shape.

When the syrup boils, add starch previously diluted in cold water. The mixture must be stirred constantly to prevent the formation of lumps. The product is dipped into the resulting mass, left for a while, then removed, squeezed out and given the desired shape. The disadvantage of this method is that the product cannot be wetted, so after washing the procedure will have to be repeated.

To do this, prepare a water-adhesive solution in the proportion: one part of glue to one or two parts of water, depending on the thickness of the PVA. The product is dipped or coated in the solution, given its final shape and allowed to dry completely.

The gelatin method is also “disposable”. To use it, you should soak one spoon of gelatin in cold water. After swelling, you need to bring the volume of water to 200-250 grams and heat it. When the gelatin has completely dissolved, the solution is ready to form the product.

For some types of needlework, starching fabric is an integral part of the process of creating a product. For example, for making flowers, the methods described above are the most acceptable and convenient.

It is only necessary to vary the saturation of the solution depending on the type of fabric.

Usually the principle works: than thinner fabric, the stronger the starch solution should be.

Do not forget that all fabrics and products are subject to starch, with the exception of:

  • underwear, since starching makes things airtight, which is unhygienic;
  • dark and black things: starch leaves whitish marks on them;
  • products whose fabric contains synthetic fiber.